Heath QuinnThere is truth is what you say, and I certainly wouldn't want him trying to take a drop kick from inside his own half. But centre field, just outside the twenty two? Either he wasn't thinking clearly, or he does not have enough confidence in himself.
If the later is true, then he should have waved Murphy up, rather than keeping the forwards going through phase after phase, risking knock ons or turn overs at each breakdown.

Well none of us know what calls were being made during that last passage of play.

What? That I'm not convinced by Brown as an international 15, and I'd be more comfortable seeing Ugo rather than Stretts in the line when messrs North/Roberts/Davies/Cuthbert et al get up a head of steam?

I'm not comfortable about the prospect of North running at Stretts....not at all.

Ugo has lost about two yards of pace.He is out of the top ten as regards wingers atm .take off the rose tinted glasses.Mike Brown on the other hand.As a Scot , i am laughing my nuts off that he is not selected.As a quins supporter i smell a tigers /saints conspiracy

That is of course true QP, but you could apply that remark to practically everything that happens on a rugby pitch, or behind closed doors in any club.

On that basis, should we close down the site and cease all rugby related discussions?

Or can we carry on, basing our opinions on what we see and hear? With everyone knowing that things posted on a supporters forum are not facts. Or do I need to qualify every statement with some sort of disclaimer?

Either he wasn't thinking clearly, or he does not have enough confidence in himself.
If the later is true, then he should have waved Murphy up, rather than keeping the forwards going through phase after phase, risking knock ons or turn overs at each breakdown.

Nick Evans' last minute drop goal against Stade came after 30 phases during which he (at least twice) turned down the drop goal and ran himself before he finally went for it.

I just think it's possible that there are more than two possible reasons for what happened with Flood.

Either he wasn't thinking clearly, or he does not have enough confidence in himself.
If the later is true, then he should have waved Murphy up, rather than keeping the forwards going through phase after phase, risking knock ons or turn overs at each breakdown.

Nick Evans' last minute drop goal against Stade came after 30 phases during which he (at least twice) turned down the drop goal and ran himself before he finally went for it.

I just think it's possible that there are more than two possible reasons for what happened with Flood.

I was referring to this bit - " rather than keeping the forwards going through phase after phase, risking knock ons or turn overs at each breakdown." No-one had a problem with Nick Evans doing that. That's all.

BB, of course there is more than one possible explanation, there almost always is.

But there are some noticeable differences between Evans against Stade and Flood on Sunday.

The conditions, pouring with rain and heavy under foot for the Stade game, bright, sunny and dry for the Tigers game.

Evans was looking for a drop goal from a lot further out than Flood, rejected possession from Care as he didn't appear to be able find firm footing. While from the same distance Flood didn't even drop into the pocket to test the ground, or get a sight.

When Evans ran from the pocket, it might have been because he saw a gap, he certainly got through two. Flood did not get through any gap.

Where I think Flood went wrong, was not his decision to turn inside when he thought he might get charged down, but his reluctance to get into the pocket earlier.

Of course, if Murphy is the designated drop kicker, then he should have been there earlier. Another possibility is that Cockerill has dropped the ball, and despite having a fly half who is known not to be a natural goal kicker, see Tigers board, had not prepared the team for such an event, and Murphy had to think on his feet.

But to get back to my original point, QP suggested that it might have been Floods call to bring Murphy up for the Drop Kick. I don't believe this to be the case, as they should have done this earlier, and once Murphy did step up, why did Flood stay in the pocket for a short while, before slowly returning to the line.

To my mind, he did not have the body language of someone who had made a decisive call.

PS

I do know that none of the above is definitely a fact, and only the players / coaches involved will know the facts. I am also aware that there are other options on how things may have happened. But on the evidence available, I believe this is how events unfolded. I am not saying that any other views are definitely wrong, and if more evidence or a better argued opinion is brought forward, I reserve the right to change my opinion.

mabosa ritchieUgo has lost about two yards of pace.He is out of the top ten as regards wingers atm .take off the rose tinted glasses.Mike Brown on the other hand.As a Scot , i am laughing my nuts off that he is not selected.As a quins supporter i smell a tigers /saints conspiracy

I've not seen a lot of Sharples, how is he defensively? Perhaps JSD? I don't get see a lot of AP rugby since moving to HK so don't know who the form wingers, at least defensively are. Highlights only show up their attacking prowess! I think that to win on Saturday the first thing we have to do is stop the big Welsh backs on the gain line. I'm happy with the likely Barritt/Tuilagi midfield but I'm going to be having palpitations when Stretts is lining up a tackle!

Nev's Left Bootoutside of the Quins-centric rhetoric - the real shock here, is that they've picked Flood,he was useless in the game against Sarries, and pretty rubbish in his 30 min cameo at Exeter - yet walks straight in.
It's not as if we don;t have two lads doing the job already.

I can see why MB does not get the bench slot, never thought JTH was international class.

Manu and Lawes deserve to be there they have played well since there returns.

Parling is decent, but feel the Palmer should have remained.

Whilst I pretty much agree with that - excluding the bit about Parling but no matter - just to make a slightly pedantic point - Flood didn't have a cameo against Exeter - he played all 80. In his first half he played pretty well too - but in the second half he was appalling. He was better against Sarries - suggesting an improvement in form I suppose - but still way short of his best and of International class. His inclusion is a mystery to most Leicester fans I suspect. We would much rather have had him back at WR to work on recovering his form in our environment and away from the International 'pressure-cooker'.

Don't make too much of the drop-goal thing - he's never been great at them and made a pretty sensible decision given his current confidence and form to let his captain deal with it. Generally he'd have taken the shot - though he'd probably have missed!

...
To begin at the beginning:

It is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless
and bible-black, the cobblestreets silent and the hunched,
courters'-and-rabbits' wood limping invisible down to the
sloeblack, slow, black, crowblack, fishingboatbobbing sea.

Don't make too much of the drop-goal thing - he's never been great at them and made a pretty sensible decision given his current confidence and form to let his captain deal with it. Generally he'd have taken the shot - though he'd probably have missed!

That was a complete abdication of his responsibility, and showed him for the bottling wimp with the backbone of of an amoeba that he is. He didn't even wave his hands and call for the captain to take over, for heaven's sake. He'll never make anything of international rugby if he can't drop goals. [/quins fans]

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